Dead Night
by James Barker 2.0
Summary: A night in detention turns deadly when a series of bizarre murders begin to strike. Can Arnold survive long enough to uncover the killer and possibly save his friends from the horror hiding in P.S. 118?


Sorry about not updating any of my other stories but due to technical difficulties my other account can no longer be accessed forcing me to open up another. I'll be bringing another Titan Hunt soon enough (with added chapters not seen in the original) but for now I'm marking my return with this whodunit murder mystery starring everyone's favorite football headed hero, Arnold.

**Dead Night**

**By James Barker a.k.a. James Barker 2.0**

**Chapter 1: Bring on the Night**

The figure darted slowly from the bushes, making sure to carefully avoid the gaze of the kids playing during recess. Breathing heavily, it made its way to the side of the school, looking for anywhere to hide itself. That's when it saw the doors leading to the basement and, as quick as a shadow darting away from light, scrambled to the safety of the darkness, making sure to close the doors on the way in.

-Two Hours Later-

The day went by just as usual, recess had ended and the kids of P.S. 118 had returned to their classrooms for another "fun" day of learning. Mr. Simmons was trying to teach them lessons on how to express themselves in their own special way but the students would have none of this. Everyone was acting outrageous, throwing paper planes, smashing into things in the room, and generally being disruptive. "Now, class...please if you would...please calm down," Simmons pleaded with his students to no avail.

The only ones not joining in the chaos were Arnold and his best friend Gerald who sat by watching everything go on. "Hey," Arnold said turning to Gerald. "Where's Eugene? I haven't seen him since recess." They both looked around the room for their unlucky friend to find that he was missing. Usually by now in a time like this he'd probably be choking with the class snake wrapped around his scrawny neck or repeatedly slamming himself against a bookshelf. But he wasn't there.

"I don't know. Actually, I haven't seen Curly either and you _know _that can't be good," Gerald replied as he dodged out of the way of an out of control basketball flung by Harold. When things started getting even more out of control (if that was even possible), the two friends hid under their desks to dodge both students and objects. "Dude, this is crazy!"

Arnold covered his football head as several textbooks hit their desks causing a rattling shake to vibrate through the desks. Suddenly there was a loud bang, almost like the splintering of wood and then the booming of a familiar voice that sent shivers down both their spines and caused the chaos above to cease almost as though it had never happened. "Simmons! What is going on...what the...students! What is the meaning of this?!"

Principal Wartz, P.S. 118's school principal had arrived at the scene and was rather upset at the sight that was before him. "Students, if you do not cease thus unruly behavior, so help me, I'll send you all to detention!" Everyone gasped and a few gave him angry stares. "Don't you give me those looks. You know what you did and if you don't..."

It was Mr. Simmons turn to step in. "Principal Wartz, they're just kids. You know how kids are...they're...well, they're kids..."

"Shut it, Simmons. These little ruffians know what they've done and now I think they should receive a proper punishment." As Simmons and Wartz continued their argument as everyone watched, Arnold looked around as he heard a strange scratching noise. He first blew it off as an overactive imagination but then the scratching grew more hectic and it dawned on him that it was coming from the air vents. Looking up he saw nothing but darkness in it but the scratching still continued and was accompanied by a low raspy breathing.

A bead of sweat ran down his face as the breathing seemed to almost form low whispers. _Am I going crazy? Is someone...or something trapped in the vents? What the hell is that? _As mysteriously as it started, the noises were gone leaving Arnold wondering if he heard them at all. "Gerald, did you hear that?" Arnold looked to see he hadn't caught his friend's attention who was instead intent on watching the argument between the two school officials. "Gerald!"

Gerald shook slightly and turned around. "Uh yeah...yeah I hear ya, man. What's up?"

"Gerald, did you hear that strange scratching coming from the vents," he asked pointing up to the empty darkness of the vents.

Gerald looked up and shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, I didn't hear anything. Probably your nerves are shot from all the shit that's been happening in this class. It's a nutfest here. Speaking of which," he pointed to Wartz and Simmons who were still at it. Arnold decided to leave it at that. Maybe he was tired from all the craziness going on. Maybe it was just his imagination. And yet...

"Alright, Simmons," Wartz began, face red from yelling at the small yet unfazed teacher. "I'll give them one, I repeat, _one _last chance. But if they blow it, so help me God..." Then Harold blew a spitball at the principal's head, splatting limply before falling off with a wet plop. "That's it!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, face growing an even darker shade of beet red. "You are all, as of now, in detention after class! You are all to report here after school! No excuses!" Everyone groaned but this made him even angrier. "Don't even give me any of that! It's your own damn fault that you're gonna be spending your afternoon here!"

Mr. Simmons tried to intervene once more but Wartz was tired of the lectures. "Don't give me anymore of your crap, Simmons! They're staying behind and you're joining me to supervise these little troublemakers! Do I make myself clear, Simmons?" The meek teacher just nodded in defeat and Wartz made his way out of the room, slamming the door hard enough to splinter the wood even more than the first time.

The lunch bell rang and everyone picked up their backpacks with angry faces. "Now, students, during this time I would like you all to phone your families to inform them that you'll be spending the afternoon here so as not to worry them," Simmons informed the students and tried his best to give a perky wave only to be met by glares.

Gerald said he had matters to attend to so Arnold left to one of the pay phones as he didn't own a cell phone unlike may of his other friends. His grandmother answered (apparently his grandpa had another bout with diarrhea caused by eating an expired sandwich) and he told her he was spending the afternoon in detention. The call lasted less than a minute because she was busy trying to take out a very annoying fly that was hiding around the boarding house. "Okay, love you, Grandma," Arnold finished as he hung up the phone. As he turned to return to the classroom, something caught his eye. That of a red haired kid running into the basement. Almost like...

"Eugene," Arnold asked to only air as he slowly stepped to the basement which had been left a crack open. The hall he stood in was dead silent and the sudden appearance of this abnormal figure was more than enough to send chills down his spine. "Eugene, is that you?" Reaching the entrance to the basement, Arnold placed a shaking hand on the door's cold brass knob and slowly opened it a bit wider, the door creaking loudly. A draft of cool air hit him like a brick as he stared into the endless darkness that filled him with dread. "Eugene? Are...are you down there?" The need to find his friend beckoned him to to explore the basement but his basic primal instincts were the reason he found himself quickly running back to the safety of the classroom from whatever danger lurked in that basement. _But did I see Eugene, _he thought to himself. Or was his imagination playing tricks on him again?

-Later that Night-

The sun had set in the city later that night, and the class was in unnerving silence. Arnold was busy at the essay they were assigned, Gerald was quietly flirting with Phoebe, Helga stared dreamily at her football-headed love, Harold poked at Rhonda as she tried to put on makeup, and Sid chatted with Stinky while Simmons read a sensitivity magazine. As boring as it was, no one was really that angry anymore. They just went back to doing what they always did...only a bit quieter. After finishing the twenty-second page of the essay, Arnold decided to rest his hands and laid his head back to stare at the ceiling.

He didn't know how much longer this was going to last but the day was wearing into night. This didn't seem like a normal detention. Suddenly the intercom blared steadily to life, directing everyone's eyes to the cold machine sending out Wartz's voice. "Simmons...I want to report...need you to report to my office immediately," the principal instructed, but something about it worried Arnold. The way Wartz was calling his teacher out had a hint of fear in it. Something was wrong and it, to his surprise, scared him. "Lock the door on your way out and make sure no student leaves the room until you or I get to the room. Simmons, get over here now."

Even Simmons had a pale whiteness to his face from the announcement but went to the door, telling his students to keep with what they're doing and stay put. As soon as Simmons left the room and the noise of the lock clinking into place was heard, everyone was alive and active again. "Ahh man, I am glad that we're away from that wussy teacher," Harold said throwing himself from his desk and stretching his chubby arms. "C'mon, let's mess this room up while he's away and when he comes back he'll be so pissed!" The other students, tired from the long silence, all piped up to join in the fun except for Arnold, whose gazed was fixed on the silent intercom.

"Hey, guys, don't you think this is a bit strange?" Arnold's question brought the attention of his mix of friends to his. "I mean...don't you think it's strange that Principal Wartz gave an urgent message and asked our teacher to lock the room unless either of them came back?" They all just stared until a few decided to speak against him.

"What's your problem, football-head," Helga asked with a glare. "This is our only chance to do what we want and you're worried about some crap Wartz said over the intercom?" She laughed to herself. "Come on! Don't be so stupid."

"Yeah, guys, I mean maybe it's just a trick to scare us," Sid said stepping to the door. "You know, as punishment for what we did earlier. I bet this door isn't even locked." He grasped the handle and tugged at the door to find it didn't budge. "Uhh..probably stuck or something. That's it." Sweat trickled down his face as he pulled on the door with all his might only to fall to the ground when his grip failed him.

Harold stepped in and grabbed the handle. "Stand back! You're just not doing it right!" Pulling as hard he could, Harold turned a dark shade of purple as he struggled to open the door. Everyone watched silently as he gave up after two minutes and then pounded the door angrily. "Hey! What kind of a fucking prank is this? Open the door! Open it!" he shouted, pounding his tired hands against the door, noises echoing through the room.

Phoebe held Gerald's arm and huddled against him, a scared look on her face. "Gerald, what's going on," she asked looking at the unmoving door.

Gerald looked at Arnold, who was staring at the door with a growing expression of dread. "Arnold, what's going on?" His friend remained silent. "Hey, Arnold, what's going on, man? This doesn't seem right." The three of them looked around the room, wondering what could've happened to have their teacher leave with the door locked. After his hands came to the point of bleeding, Harold gave up on the door and slumped on the floor.

"It's no use," Harold gasped returning a defeated gaze to his friends. "It won't budge."

Everyone was now talking amongst themselves, faces filled with worry at what was happening. "Whoah whoah this is not good for me. I mean detention's one thing but now mysterious things...I am just not the kind of girl for this," Rhonda said examining her nails.

"Oh shut up, you spoiled bitch," Harold shouted. "You should be the one here trying to get this fucking door open!"

Rhonda glared at him and kicked a chair aside. "Shut up, lardass! Or do you want a can of this?" she said pointing to the kicked over chair. The two began arguing bringing others over to try and stop them before any blood was spilt.

As the fight raged on, no one but Arnold even noticed the still door slowly begin to creak open. "Hey...hey, guys, look!" Everyone turned to see the door ajar and cautiously approached. "Mr. Simmons? Principal Wartz? Is that you?" There was no answer and no one seemed brave enough to see what lied beyond it.

Stinky was the first to push the door aside and venture into the halls. "Hey, guys, nothing to worry about. The hall's are empty. Sure is creepy though." The rest joined him to find that the halls were indeed empty but the very silence felt menacing. They were the only ones there and the only authority figures to protect them were somewhere else in the school. "Wheredya reckon Simmons and Wartz went off to?"

Helga stood staring at Arnold, who was busy discussing with Gerald and Phoebe something about danger, vents, whatever crap she couldn't make out but she didn't care. All she wanted was to be cradled in his arms in this strange hour. But she couldn't let anyone see her gazing dreamily at him and regained her harsh composure. "Where the hell do you think they went? Wartz called pencil-neck Simmons to his office so that's where we're going!"

As everyone else discussed what had to be done, Arnold and his two other friends were busy discussing something urgent. "So you're saying you saw Eugene go into the basement? Dude, that is weird. But why would Mr. Bad Luck being wandering around the school basement? Even he knows he'd get pretty hurt down there," Gerald said, looking around the dead hall.

"I know it sounds strange but we haven't seen him since recess. What if he's in trouble and hiding? What if the reason Wartz called Simmons to his office was because of him?" Arnold remembered the strange red haired figure dashing into the basement and felt a chill. He really wasn't sure if it even was Eugene but whoever it was, they were in the basement, and in this time of night he didn't dare venture there to find out.

Phoebe stepped in this time. "Yeah, but also Curly's been missing as well. What if he caused this strange series of events to happen?" Arnold hadn't thought of that. What if Curly snapped again? Could that be the reason for the sudden disappearance of their teacher? "Holy...!" Phoebe shouted, staring with eyes wide with fear at the end of the hall.

Helga turned away from the others and rushed to her friend's side. "Phoebe, what is it? What did you see?" The very look of fear on her friend's face made Helga feel uneasy. She tried shaking her out of her shock. "Phoebe! What did you see?"

Recovering from the initial shock, Phoebe managed to lift a shaking finger and point it down the hall. "Someone...I saw someone rush down the hall..." Everyone looked down to where she was pointing but there wasn't anyone...at least, not anymore. "He was wearing dark...and I couldn't see the rest of him but, guys...we're not alone here..."

Gerald began to walk to the end of the hall but Arnold grabbed his arm to hold him back. "Don't worry, Arnold. It's probably just some kid who probably stayed after school and forgot to leave. Yeah...yeah, that's probably it." But not even Gerald could hide the growing fear on his face. Something really scared his girlfriend and the thought of someone like that wandering around the school gave him the creeps.

Arnold had a feeling there was more to this than met the eye but he couldn't help but want desperately for it to just be that. Just a kid who forgot to leave..."Okay, let's go check it out." The small group of friends grouped closely together and moved slowly down the hall, hoping not to make any noise that would scare off their mystery "guest." The only noises to break the silence was the unsettling cooing of the vents and their own hectic breathing. They reached the end of their original hall and made their way to the other side of the next to find that the mysterious figure had disappeared. Finding nothing else to explore, and the empty feeling of the halls eating away at their dread, they decided to return to the safety of the classroom.

It was Sid who was the first to notice something wasn't right. "Hey, guys! Look!" he shouted and pointed to the room's door. At first no one noticed anything but then they saw that the door was almost closed when they had left it wide open when they left down the hall. "Hey, maybe Simmons is back! Guys, let's go tell him what happened and..." He froze in his place, staring down at the floor.

Arnold went over to his friend. "Sid...Sid, what's wrong?" But when he looked down he knew what caused Sid's shock. Little drops of red leading into the classroom. Bending over he put a finger to the liquid and felt it, making Sid at his side squirm. Wet, sticky, warm..."Blood." Everyone gasped slightly and stared at what was happening. It lead into the room and there was only one way to find out where the blood lead to. Arnold would come to regret opening the door.

Pushing the door aside it was Arnold's turn to freeze in his tracks at the sight before him. There at the teacher's desk lay Simmons, throat ripped open, empty dead eyes staring into oblivion. Arnold clasped a shaking hand over his mouth to keep from retching. The same couldn't be said for Sid who was on his knees throwing up on the floor. Before he could warn the others not to come, they were already there, showing the same fear and horror that he was feeling at that moment. Along with the dead Simmons there was massive amounts of blood splattered everywhere, on desks and walls and everything. The only part of the room with the least blood was the chalkboard which instead displayed something far more disturbing. _**YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE TONIGHT **_was sprawled messily across the board in their teacher's gore. But they knew to their horror that this night had only just begun.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

R&R and tell me what you all think. Thanks for reading and I'll bring the next chapter up as soon as I can.


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